


Home

by ConcentratedMatter



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-20 21:52:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16563782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConcentratedMatter/pseuds/ConcentratedMatter
Summary: During a thunderstorm, Nott asks Caleb whether they'll ever find a home.





	Home

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a prompt I got on Tumblr: 
> 
> 'Someone in the new group is afraid of thunderstorms and needs comforting. Anyone you choose.'

Curled, green fingers traced raindrops down the window as the storm outside lashed out against the glass. Nott sat quietly curled up in the window sill. She could feel the cold glass leeching heat from her through the soft woolen blanket she had wrapped around herself. A flash of lightning startled her, but the thunder was slow and rumbling; still far away. She relaxed. 

 

Between curtains of rain she could occasionally catch glimpses of the large oak tree on the other side of the courtyard. As her eyes focused and unfocused on it she suddenly found herself peering into her own reflection. The moment snuck up on her, and she let out a soft, shuddered breathe. It fogged up the window, hiding her face.

 

Nott closed her eyes, taking the time to steady herself. As she opened them again, the glass was clear and she took a moment to just  _ look. _

 

She studied every inch of her face. The dark freckles on her small upturned nose. Her curled lips and crooked teeth. She caught her own eyes and studied them too; the tired lines at the outer corners. The seriousness of her gaze. The deep swirls of green and yellow in her irises. Her gaze wandered upwards towards her hair, green strands plastered to her forehead. It was a tangled mess of knots and dried dirt. Not exactly the visage of a lady. 

 

Maybe she should borrow Jester’s comb again. 

 

Her eyes wandered once more, and she noticed other reflections beyond her own cast against the dark, swirling background. The large bed behind her, empty but inviting. The fireplace; warm and glowing, making her silhouette dance against the glass. The dark shape of Caleb, quietly sitting in a chair in the corner, his head bent down between the pages of a book. She turned to look at him, listening to the wind get caught in a crack between the window and the wall, howling and whistling. 

 

The spattering of the rain mixed with the crackling of wood and fire, the rumbling in the distance, and Caleb slowly rifling through the pages of his book. She felt the rhythm sync with her own breathing. It was like a symphony of comfort. 

 

She could stay here forever.

 

Caleb straightened up, scratched the back of his neck and then turned to reach for the mug on the small wooden table next to him. As he lifted the drink towards his lips, he caught Nott looking at him, and he paused to give her a brief smile. Nott blinked, a spell broken.

 

As they shared the moment of contemplative silence, a question bubbled up in Nott’s mind. Without further thought, she spoke up:

 

“Do you think we’ll ever find a home?” 

 

Caleb stopped, holding the mug to his lips. A brief moment passed, before he lowered it and looked at Nott with a thoughtful gaze.

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“That’s what humans do, right? Build homes?” Nott asked. She looked down, peering at her bare feet poking out from underneath the blanket. They were dirty. Just like the rest of her. She wiggled her toes and specks of dirt fell onto the window sill.

 

Humans liked to keep their homes clean, she knew.  

 

“Well, don’t most creatures?” Caleb replied, uncrossing his legs and setting down his book on the small table next to his chair. He nodded towards the window. “It keeps you safe from nasty weather like that.”

 

“Goblins don’t. We never build things. We just hide in caves or underground, where the rain can’t reach us.” Nott replied, wiping away the dirt from the window sill onto the floor. She looked up towards Caleb, swinging her legs off the ledge, leaving her feet dangling in the air.

 

Caleb paused, his eyes wandering around the room before finally settling back on Nott. He gestured towards all the furniture in between the both of them.

 

“You know a home is more than all of this, right? And it’s definitely more than just the rocks and bricks and lumber that make up this building. A home is a place you always want to return to, so a cave can also be a home.”

 

Nott was quiet for a moment, thinking back on her life with her clan. The concept of a home had always sounded wonderful to her. These houses; full of light and warmth and comfort. They didn’t sound anything like the caves she knew. 

 

“I don’t think I ever considered our cave to be a home.” Nott said softly. “As long as I remember, I’ve always wanted to get away from there.”

 

Caleb gave her a soft smile in reply, a hint of sadness in his eyes. “That’s okay.”

 

He picked up his tea again, holding the cup with both of his hands. He stared deeply into it, as if the murky liquid might grant him some vision of the future. 

 

Or perhaps - the past, Nott thought as she studied his expression.

 

“I think the point is, you can make a home anywhere with a little bit of effort. It’s not made out of… stuff. It’s made out of…” Caleb faltered, searching for the right words. 

 

“Well. It’s made out of a feeling, I suppose. A home is your refuge, the place you go to feel safe and comfortable.”

 

Another flash lit up the room - Nott could briefly see her own long shadow appear on the floor, outlined against the window. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but before she could get that far, a loud thunderclap rattled the windows. Instead of a question, a short, shrill squeak escaped her lips. She leapt down from the ledge and bounded towards the bed. 

 

A few moments passed as she cowered underneath her blanket. Then she noticed the room had grown expectantly quiet. She apprehensively poked her head out once more. Her eyes immediately caught the bemused gaze of Caleb. He was grinning. 

 

She could feel her cheeks flush, quite annoyed at the smug look he was giving her. 

 

“Shut up.” 

 

“I didn’t say anything.” Caleb pointed out, sipping his tea. Nott glared at him.

 

“Look, you know I’m not a fan of rain. So what if I’m not a fan of lightning either?” She said, feeling defensive, wrapping the blanket around herself more tightly. 

 

Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Nott. I’ve seen you shoot lightning out of your  _ hands _ .”

 

“That’s... different.”

 

“ _ How _ is that diff-” Caleb began, but was interrupted when there was a soft knock at the door. They shared a look, both confused. 

 

Caleb got up and gently opened the large, oak door, peering through the crack to identify their visitor. Before Nott could get a good look herself, another loud thunderclap announced a lightning strike quite close by. At the same time, a quick, blue blur pushed past Caleb. Nott immediately recognized the figure as Jester. Standing now just inside the room with her back against the wall next to the fireplace, she was nervously wringing her hands. She was wearing a simple, white nightgown.

 

“Well come in, Jester.” Caleb said, closing the door behind her. “What gives us the honour of your visit at this late hour?” Nott could hear a hint of amusement in his voice. 

 

“Weeeell... Beau has gone somewhere and I don’t know where she is, and I’ve been all alone in our room for  _ hours _ . I’m lonely and bored.” Jester said, slightly relaxing. “I saw the light underneath your door and figured you guys could use some company!”

 

“Hm.” Caleb replied, crossing his arms. Lightning flashed. Jester jumped, nearly knocking a candle off its sconce. 

 

Caleb sighed.

 

“I’ll make us some more tea then.” He said, moving towards the fireplace. A small, brass teapot was hanging from a lug pole crane. He removed the lid to check the water level and then swung it over the side of the fire. 

 

While Caleb busied himself, Nott and Jester shared a look. A few seconds passed and then Nott slowly lifted up one side of her blanket. A grateful smile appeared on Jester’s face as she hurried over towards the bed. Nott could feel the warmth radiating from the Tiefling’s body as she settled in next to her. It was nice.

 

Jester was quiet and they both watched as Caleb poured them two mugs of tea, before he himself settled back into his chair. When he caught them both staring at him, he sighed.

 

“You know, statistically, the chances of getting hit by lightning are-”

  
“Caleb.” Nott muttered, a warning evident in her voice. Caleb paused and then shrugged, thinking better of finishing his sentence. He returned to his book and a comfortable silence settled down on them. 

 

Slowly sipping her tea, Nott listened as the thunderstorm continued to rage far above them. As another particularly violent thunderclap made her jump, Jester draped one arm over her. She leaned towards Nott and whispered in her ear; 

 

“Back in Nicodranas, when I was just a little girl, I sometimes got scared because of storms like this.” She smiled at Nott. “And you know what? My mom would always hum to me this one song, and it would always make me feel loads better. Do you want to hear it?”

 

Nott hesitated briefly, but then quickly nodded as another flash lit up their room. Jester grinned, settled back against the frame of the bed and began to softly hum underneath her breathe. It was a kind of melancholic tune, but something about it was familiar and made the soft, nervous thrum of Nott’s heart settle down in her chest. 

 

As she listened, she finished her tea, and could hear the slow rhythm of the raindrops hitting the windows return as the storm gradually moved away. Eyelids growing heavy, a soft glow spread through Nott´s body. Lying warm and comfortable underneath the blankets, Jester’s humming was like a lullaby. She could stay in this moment forever.

 

You can make a home anywhere, she thought. Caleb had said that a home was made out of a feeling. But maybe, home was made out of people instead. 

 

She liked that idea. That meant she could take her home with her anywhere she went.

 


End file.
